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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24550447">the observatory hill escape…</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/spa_ghetto/pseuds/spa_ghetto'>spa_ghetto</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Unlisted (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Brotherly Love, Brothers, Gen, Protective Kal Sharma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:20:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,031</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24550447</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/spa_ghetto/pseuds/spa_ghetto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>… didn't go exactly as planned.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dru Sharma &amp; Kal Sharma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the observatory hill escape…</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Dru didn’t make it home with Kal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Dru didn’t make it home with Kal.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Twenty minutes have passed, and Kal is still on his bed, staring into Dru’s side of the room, waiting for his brother to finally show up. What is it taking so long? He didn’t think Dru was so far behind. They should’ve been on the same train getting back, but… Kal saw no sign of him. He’s trying not to think the worst, but now almost twenty-five minutes have passed, and it shouldn’t be taking this long.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He jumps at a knock on his door. His father pokes his head in. “Where’s Dru and Jiao?” he asks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uhh, they’re on their way,” Kal says. “We went to the park, and I raced them home. Guess I won.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His father rolls his eyes. “Alright well, don’t wait up for them. You need to start getting ready for bed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kal nods and rolls off his bed. “Kay, dad.” The door clicks behind him, and he’s alone again. As he walks to his dresser, he glances into Dru’s room. There’s a mattress next to his bed along with Jiao’s suitcase. Kal scoffs. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jiao.</span>
  </em>
  <span> A creep who did nothing but follow them around all day, and now he’s in their house? Sitting at their table, already a member of the family by Dadi’s standards?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And he’s with Dru right now. He probably caught him when they were running away. Dru’s probably been found out by Regan, and… and who knows what’s happening now? Kal </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> doesn’t want to think about it. He turns to go brush his teeth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What if Dru doesn’t come home tonight?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Shut up,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kal scolds himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But what if he </span>
  <em>
    <span>doesn’t?</span>
  </em>
  <span> It would be all Jiao’s fault; he’s the traitor and the stalker and the overall </span>
  <em>
    <span>weirdo.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe it’s also Kal’s fault. He’s the one who ran without checking to make sure Dru was with him. He’s the one who left his little brother behind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stares at himself in the mirror. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>not</span>
  <em>
    <span> my fault,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he decides. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jiao shouldn’t have followed us. Dru should’ve been quicker.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thirty minutes. Dru’s room is still empty. Guilt begins to gnaw at Kal as he changes into his pajamas. Up until then, Dru’s status as Unlisted has never been so glaringly clear. Kal never stopped to think about what that could mean, but… Rose and the others are </span>
  <em>
    <span>hiding</span>
  </em>
  <span> in </span>
  <em>
    <span>tunnels</span>
  </em>
  <span> because they’re Unlisted. Tim’s parents were </span>
  <em>
    <span>kidnapped.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Being implanted sucks, sure: sometimes Kal isn’t in control of his mind. Sometimes he goes into zombie-mode and acts against his own free will, but at least he’s not on the government’s radar. At least he’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>safe,</span>
  </em>
  <span> relatively. Nobody is breaking down their door and abducting their family. Not now anyway, but what will happen when Jiao exposes Dru?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sick. This is all making Kal very, very sick. He sits on his bed and drops his head to his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Downstairs, the front door clicks open. He hears Dadi say, “You’re home late!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dru apologizes quickly, “Sorry, Dadi!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kal’s heart skips a beat. He jumps to his feet when Dru’s door opens and Dru and Jiao rush in. There are a million questions on the tip of his tongue, but before he can ask anything, their father pops his head in again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bout time you boys got back,” he says with a raised eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We ah, we missed the train,” Dru says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Train?” Dad shoots Kal a confused, suspicious look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We were at Observatory Hill,” Kal explains. “So yeah, train.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s clear across town! Kal, I can’t believe you left your brother behind like that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dru rolls his eyes out of their father’s sight. He hates being treated like he can’t handle himself, and Kal knows this, and he usually agrees totally. Kal shouldn’t have to be his brother’s keeper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s fine,” he defends. He glances Dru over just to double check that yeah, he’s fine. No cuts, no bruises. Would Jiao actually rough him up? Kal pokes his tongue against his cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, hurry and get to bed. Lights out in five minutes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay Dad,” Dru replies.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kal sits on his bed. He plays a game on his iPad to distract himself from the other room. He pretends he doesn’t want to storm over there and demand answers from Jiao. Why did he follow them to the park? And why was he with Regan, of all people? They saw the Unlisted kids, they had to. So, what did that mean? What happens now?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jiao leaves for the bathroom after Dru returns. Kal finally looks up from his iPad.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened tonight?” he demands. “Why did it take you so long to get back?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lights out, boys!” their mother calls from outside the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dru sighs. “Kay, mom!” He slips under his covers and looks back at Kal. “I’ll tell you in the morning.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kal crosses his arms over his chest. “You okay?” he asks. He watches Dru with a blank stare because now that he knows he hasn’t been kidnapped, the whole thing </span>
  <em>
    <span>bores</span>
  </em>
  <span> him. Really, it does.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then Dru smiles. He grins like he can see right through his brother, and maybe he can, but Dru will never bring it up, and Kal will never admit to it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Haven’t been caught yet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shocking, really, seeing as you’re so slow.” Kal smirks. “Surprised Regan didn’t catch you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dru laughs, not like he’s in on Kal’s joke, but like he knows something Kal doesn’t. He averts his eyes. “Yeah, uh… Regan wasn’t exactly in the best position to chase us after all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kal frowns. “What does that—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dru’s door opens, Kal falls silent, and Jiao strolls in wearing his pajamas. He glances between the twins. “Am I interrupting?” he asks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope,” Kal answers, and just like that, they’re boring to him again. He rolls over and flicks his lamp off. He doesn’t even say goodnight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the other room, he hears shuffling for a few minutes. Finally, Dru’s lamp clicks, and darkness engulfs them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Night, Jiao,” Dru says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Goodnight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Night, bro.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A pause. Kal huffs quietly and rolls his eyes. Maybe he smiles too, but nobody will ever know.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Night, Dru.”</span>
</p>
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